Lei Wai Nong: Only a “small number” of Macau satellite casinos likely to close

June 9, 2022 Macau Crime & Legal Industry Updates

Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, said Wednesday that some satellite casinos have applied to “adjust their operations” in response to proposed changes to the gaming law, but insisted the number is not large.

As reported by Inside Asian Gaming, some satellite casinos will cease gaming operations after 26 June 2022 – the original expiration date of the six current gaming concessionaires before they were recently extended to 31 December 2022 – including all four casinos operated by Golden Dragon Group and the casino at Grand Emperor Hotel.

Answering questions from the media, Lei said the decision to shutter satellite casinos was a business decision and the government would not stand in their way but claimed it does want them to remain. This is despite the government having initially included a requirement for all satellites to be located within premises owned by a concessionaire in its draft gaming law amendments, and prohibiting satellite casinos to participate in revenue sharing.

With satellite casinos having since been given a reprieve on this measure, Lei said, “The retention or departure of satellite casinos has no relation to the gaming law. It is the economic impact caused by the [COVID-19] pandemic.”